The Social Archeology Channel

The upbeat pop songs and wholesome image of The Carpenters was in direct contrast to the many cutting edge and controversial musical acts in the 70s. Nevertheless, they managed to become one of the most enduring and popular artists in music history, churning out a steady stream of hit singles that have become classics, and making Karen Carpenter one of the most iconic voices in pop music. Continue reading...

It arrived on the toy aisle almost a decade after its Easy-Bake competitor, but its appearance gave the impression that it was century older. Fashioned after an antique stove, the Holly Hobbie Oven gave youngsters the ability to bake cookies and cakes just like mom ... or more appropriately, just like grandma. Continue reading...

Simplicity has its a place in the world of fashion, even if it sometimes takes a little nudge to get the public to embrace the idea. Once a famous sports figure, musician or actor proudly displays a particular style, the masses will flock towards it. Such was the case with simple pair of canvas shoes called Vans. Continue reading...

Back in the 50s, planning a wedding was one of the more stressful undertakings in life. Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett gave us a comic demonstration in the classic 1950 film, Father of the Bride. In 1991, Steve Martin and Diane Keaton proved that nothing has changed in the past forty years, in this successful remake that charmed its own generation of filmgoers. Continue reading...

There were plenty of suave, debonair, capable secret agents on television during the 60s, but the world sorely needed a spy who was none of those things and hid a phone in his shoe. Thus, Get Smart was born. Created by Buck Henry and Mel Brooks, the series became a critical and popular success, and has maintained its pop culture niche to this day. Continue reading...

With Transformers, the possibilities were endless: Toy vehicles that turn into toy robots that fight each other. Toy robots that turn into toy vehicles that you can actually drive. Toy vehicles that turn into laser-toting robots. Laser-toting robots that turn into … you get the idea. Continue reading...

Few would have predicted that a plastic egg would revolutionize the women’s hosiery market. But that is precisely what happened in the 70s, when Hanes marketed an affordable line of women’s hosiery and made them available in uncustomary places such as grocery stores. Soon, supermarket aisles everywhere looked as if they were overrun by hives of giant Silly Putty. Continue reading...

It's not too hard to understand why a sitcom based around women over sixty might be a hard sell in a town perpetually obsessed with youth. To overcome this obstacle, NBC assembled a formidable ensemble cast for The Golden Girls, with decades of sitcom success under their collective belts. This quartet provided the Midas touch that won the hearts of viewers, young and old alike. Continue reading...